


"But What If It Was Charisk"(ON CRAZY HIATUS)

by AnotherAlias



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: But it'll fit and be really cool i promise, Chapter 3 is important and it will be so cool if i execute it like i think I will, Chara doesn't know what love feels like, Eventual Gaster, F/F, Flirty Frisk (Undertale), Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forehead Kisses, Frisk is good at reading faces, Hurt/Comfort, I might add chapters purely because of a shower thought, eventual kiss scene, it will be so dramatic and adorable, school plus low attention span just makes it kinda hard haha, they also don't know what anything is, this is still getting updated i swear I'll finish this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23178052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnotherAlias/pseuds/AnotherAlias
Summary: A retelling of the story of Undertale, but it focuses more on the thoughts and interactions of Chara and Frisk, while a little romance blooms between the two. I will take some liberties, but not to the point where it changes the story and message that Undertale tried to tell.(For any new readers: I genuinely do not know if I will finish this fic? I might just rewrite it entirely in the future. I don't think it's very good and I get SO bored trying to write it. I will definitely make more Charisk content, but just warning you that this specific one stops around Snowdin)
Relationships: Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Chara & Frisk (Undertale), Chara/Frisk (Undertale), Sans/Toriel (Undertale)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 107





	1. Do You Believe in Love at First Sight, or Should I Fall Again?

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short little prologue chapter, the others will be a lot longer than this (Hopefully?) This is also my first real story type fanfiction, so please forgive me if you cringe a bit too hard.

Chara sat in the usual spot, taking in the beauty of the flowers that marked her death. She attempted to take one in her hand, before phasing through it like usual.

"Of course..." While used to this, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. Her eyes closed, and through a deep inhale she took in their scent. It never failed to remind her of him. She raised her hand to her neck, tracing the line where the necklace would be. "...He was a fool. I still don't understand how he could ever have trusted a hu-" Suddenly, Chara's thoughts were interrupted by what sounded like distant screaming. She looked up and saw a girl about her age, with short hair and a soft looking sweater that would do little to block her fall. "A..human?" Chara calmly watched the girl crash into the flowerbed. For a moment...she thought they had made eye contact.

"Oww..." Chara flinched, "Ah, you survived the fall after all." After a shifting around for a moment, cursing and wincing, the human slowly rose to their feet. Chara stood up too, curiosity getting the better of them. She looked at the human closely, besides a couple bruises and cuts, their skin seemed well taken care of, although it could be the lighting. The human's eyes slowly opened, it's brown hue complimenting their darker skin and hair color. Their hair had a soft apple scent, while the rest of their body had a more cinnamon like feel to it. 

"Can you stop sniffing me now?" Chara jumped back, embarrassment setting in. After a moment of disbelief, Chara gathered up the courage to speak. "You can...see me?" The human looked confused, "Of course I can, you were two inches away from my face! Consent is important you know." She couldn't believe it...no one had seen her in years. She stared at the human, dumbfounded.

"So...your name? Mine's Frisk, it's nice to meet you." She put her hand out and gave Chara a warm smile. Chara eventually calmed down and tried to return the handshake...and to her surprise, it worked!

"Um..greetings. My name... is Chara." What in the world just happened? In the span of twenty minutes, she had met an incredibly special human, one that must've had the same amount of determination Chara had...no, this girl definitely had more than her. But how is that even possible? And how can she see and touch Chara? That doesn't make any sense, after all they're...

"Um...Frisk, was it? How exactly can you see me?" Frisk tilted their head, "What do you mean? You're not some kind of ghost are you?" Frisk giggled a bit at their own joke, probably an attempt to make the mood feel less awkward. It didn't work. 

"That's exactly it." Frisk took a step back, biting their lip as a nervous reaction. "What...are you trying to say?"

"Frisk...I'm already dead."


	2. Flowers, Goats, Pretty Dead Girls...Wait what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOPS THIS CAME OUT WAY LATER THAN I THOUGHT. I got distracted with Persona 5 Royal...I'll get back on track now. Probably.

...What the hell did this chick just say? Frisk stared wide eyed at the girl- ghost?- might-be-dead-organism standing before them. They carefully gauged her face. Her expression remained unchanged. "...Are you joking? That doesn't make sense at all!"

Frisk rushed over to Chara, violating their personal space, and started poking different parts of their body. "See!? I can touch you, an-and hear you, and-" Frisk interrupted their own train of thought when they looked up and locked eyes with Chara.

"...oh." 

Chara's face slowly turned red as Frisk refused to back off. "W-what?!" Frisk kept looking. After what felt like an hour Frisk let go of Chara's arms, talking to her with a grimace on their face. "Your eyes... you really are dead, aren't you?" Chara seemed confused, she wasn't sure what her eyes had to do with any of this. But Frisk had started sweating a little more than she should've been, so Chara took that as a sign not to press that topic right now.

"That's correct. I've been for a while now, watching over this area but, I could never move. I've seen humans fall, get up and keep going, but I'm not sure what happened to any of them."

"But with you," Chara continued, "it's... strange. I think you're to fulfill some type of destiny. Maybe it's your determination? Ah, but that couldn't be the only reason..could it?" Chara had started mumbling to themselves, putting their hand to their chin and closing their eyes. It seemed they would be a while...

"AHEM." Chara snapped out of it, finally, paying attention to Frisk again. "Ah, right- basically.." Chara thought of the simplest way they could put it.

"We need to stick together. I don't know what'll happen to me if you die, and I'm currently liking the freedom I have now, so I'll try my best to guide you. In exchange, please promise me you won't harm any of the monsters you encounter here." Frisk thought about it for a second, before grinning and putting out their hand. They couldn't consider themselves a pacifist, not after what happened back then, but for the sake of the pretty girl in front of her she decided to agree. "It's a deal! Thanks for the help." After a pause Chara returned the handshake. "The pleasure's all mine, partner."

===

Frisk had started walking down the dark hallway, noticing the same pattern of golden flowers in the distance. Frisk stopped, and when Chara had went to inspect them...

"Howdy!" Frisk flinched a bit, while Chara let out a loud yelp and landed right on their ass. Frisk stifled a laugh, avoiding eye contact with the now glaring Chara while kneeling to get a better look at the plant. "I'm Flowey, Flowey the flower!" While Frisk would normally wonder whether they were dreaming, this wasn't exactly the most shocking thing they'd seen today, so they decided to let this one slide. "You're new to the underground, aren't ya? I guess little 'ol me will have to do!" Suddenly, the area around them had turned black and white, and numbers started flowing into Frisk's head. It's been a while since they experienced this sensation. They had entered a fight. 

"See that heart? That's your soul! The very culmination of your being..but it seems you already knew that! That means you know what LV means, right?" Frisk thought to themselves briefly before answering, "LOVE, right?" Flowey gave a big smile, which made Frisk giggle and Chara roll their eyes. "Let's see...your soul is pretty weak! Ah, no offense, but you could be way stronger if your gained more LV! Here.." About six pellets formed over Flowey's head. Upon seeing them, Chara's breath hitched and she grabbed Frisk's hand. Frisk was going to make a flirty remark, but stopped herself when seeing the look on Chara's face. "Be ready to move." Frisk wasn't sure what was happening, but braced themselves anyway. "Here! I'll share some love with you!" 

The pellets dashed towards Frisk, and before they could react Chara's grip tightened and pulled her out of the way. Flowey's smile twitched. 

"Hey, uh...you missed. Let's try again!" The pellets seemed a little quicker this time, but once again Chara yanked Frisk out of the way. "HEY. BUDDY. ARE YOU STUPID? RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS."

"BULLETS?!"

Frisk got pulled into safety again, with Frisk returning the grip on Chara's hand out of fear. Flowey's cartoony grin morphed into a devilish smile, and his voiced turned from high-pitched to demonic, it reverberated through the pitch-black arena. "You know what's going on here, don't you. In this world..it's KILL or BE KILLED." An array of bullets surrounded the two girls, their grip on each other tightening while they braced for impact. Right before the bullets would pierce through their skull, they suddenly vanished into thin air.

"...huh?" A light flickered next to Flowey, before rushing him and wiping the smug smile off his face. He went flying, and soon his presence was replaced with a mature looking monster. Chara's expression shifted again, her face cringing and avoiding eye contact with the tall woman. Well, not like she could actually maintain it. 

"What a terrible creature, harming such a poor, innocent youth."

They took one knee to link eyes with Frisk, cupping their cheek with their soft, furry hand. "I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. Come, I will guide you through the catacombs." Toriel stood and turned, stepping into the dark wallway. Frisk spoke quietly, as if not to scare Chara.

"Hey. We really should get going." She took a moment to herself, before nodding solemnly. "Um... you can keep holding my hand if you like that sort of thing." Frisk giggled and winked, causing Chara's cheeks to burn a deep red.

"If..if it's alright with you...c-can we stay like this? Just for a little while. I haven't been here in so long, I'm n-nervous." Chara's voice was soft and weak, and while Frisk wanted to take advantage and tease them, Frisk couldn't help but blush from their cute little whimper. "Y..yeah, of course."

Hand in hand, they walked towards The Ruins.


	3. File Saved. Continue Playing?

"Stunning..." Chara studied the enormous, ancient structure looming over them, eyes wide and mouth agape. Her hand squeezed Frisk's a little tighter, and together they walked toward the entrance of the Ruins. After stepping up the stairs, Frisk stopped and noticed something sparkling near the door.

"Hey Chara, what's that shiny thing over there?" Frisk walked over to analyze it, letting go of Chara's hand in the process. They raised their arm and slowly reached towards the object. "That is a save point...have you never used one before?" Frisk lowered their hand and looked up at Chara, "A...save point? You mean like in video games?" Chara tilted their head slightly. "Video...games?" Frisk jumped up and all but yelled at Chara's face, "Oh don't tell me you've never heard about video games?! Geez, how old ARE you?"

Chara gasped dramatically, "I-I'll have you know I'm only 15 years old! What about you?!" Frisk smirked, "14, grandma." Frisk giggled, "Although, you're probably around 100 something by now." Chara huffed and avoided eye contact, "BACK TO THE TOPIC AT HAND, a save point is-" But Frisk had cut them off, "I know, I know! You save here, and when you die you pop right back here and try again!...right?" Chara nodded, "Yes but, you don't necessarily have to die. Here." Chara held onto Frisk's arm and gently lowered it into the light. A rush of adrenaline filled their bodies, and they felt ready to tackle anything that came their way. They were filled with...ah, I think you know the rest. 

"Okay, now... lets go over here." Chara took Frisk's hand once more and headed down the stairs. "Alright, let's begin, We're going to attempt loading okay?" Chara cupped both of Frisk's cheeks locked eyes with them. "Can I be honest with you, partner?" Frisk returned the gaze with confidence. "Wow...are we about to kiss right no-" Frisk was interrupted with a small slap on the cheek. "Ah," Frisk continued joking, "You're one of the rough types in be-" 

"Please focus." Chara pinched Frisk's cheek like an irritated mother, taking the chance she had with Frisk's whining to continue talking. "Before you attempt this, know that it may very well be one of the worst things you feel in your entire life."

This did worry Frisk a little, but she liked to think they'd been through plenty already. "Oh come on, can't be that bad! Hopping through time?! That sounds awesome!"  
Chara thought to protest more but ultimately decided against it. "I...guess it will be faster to just show you. Okay, from here, try to load your save." Frisk paused, "Um, how do I do that?" 

"Simply think extremely hard about wanting to go back there." 

"Back...like back up the stairs?"

"Correct." 

Frisk closed their eyes and tried their best. At first they tried imagining the feeling of the spark. After that failed, they tried remembering the overall area, like the ominous presence of the ruins, but nothing seemed to be working. When they were about to reopen their eyes, Chara had taken hold of Frisk's hand once more. After feeling the warmth of Chara's gentle grip, Frisk's mind became clear. After a moment of silence...

The ground below them quickly faded out of existence, and they were falling into a void. Her head started pounding, screaming that she needed to leave as soon as possible. 'Chara' Frisk thought, 'Where did Chara go? Come back. Please come back, I can't think straight. I need you here. What? Why am I so desperate, I barely know this girl. No, of course I trust you! Huh? Trust? Oh, turn off the camera?' After a thousand more random words and voices tore into Frisks mind, she had linked her hands in prayer, She wasn't the religious type. 'God, I hate this, hurry up and take me up those damn stairs already. I know I know...just six more, right?' 

Suddenly, the ground reappeared right under Frisk's feet, and they immediately dropped on to their knees. They rushed over the ledge, feeling her breakfast crawl up their stomach.

"And we've arrived!" Chara smiled and raised their hand like a tourist who doesn't get paid enough, "Please enjoy our brand new gift shop! Guess Flowey's weight and you win a pri-"

Meanwhile, Frisk was bent over the edge of the ledge, puking up the cereal they had this morning. Chara felt an itch to keep joking, but after sensing that it felt a little too insensitive, they walked over and pulled Frisk's hair back in an effort to keep it clean. "There, there..." with their free hand they started rubbing circles on Frisk's back and put on their best soothing tone of voice. Soon, Frisk slowly rose after wiping their mouth and stared up at Chara. They had this puppy dog look in their eyes, like they'd been betrayed. 

"Chara...w-what was that?' After asking that, Frisk nearly fell to their knees again before Chara caught and hoisted her over her shoulder. They took a seat near the save point, and Frisk leaned her head on her shoulder, closing their eyes and waiting for the dizzy feeling to go away. "I told you, you loaded your save. Now, I'm sure you're thinking, 'Ah, but Chara, that was horrible, why did you make me go through such a thing?!"

"Fill that quote with a lot more cursing and yeah, something like that." 

"However, this is something you need to know. If anything were to happen to you, or anyone you care about, you'll need to load your save. I simply thought to get the whole 'I want to barf and scream' feeling one gets on their first load out of the way.

"Why is it like that anyway? It felt so..."

"Unnatural?"

"...yeah."

"Well, that's because it is. The universe is essentially ripping you out of existence and throwing you back to the time you desire, which is where the whole flying sensation comes from. It, um, doesn't have to do that very often, I'd imagine. However, this is the reason you may hear or feel things that are... nonsensical. When this happens, it is important to stay calm, because when this happens, you are usually close to your destination!"

"What if you never get there though?"

"Um..pardon?"

"Like... it doesn't happen often, yeah? So what if the universe just...messes up?"

"Well...you'd probably just get lost in the void. Or maybe the universe would just delete your existence from everyone's memory. OR they could put part of you everywhere at once..."

"...that's a scary thought, isn't it? A world where just...pop! And it's like you were never there..."

After taking a moment in silence, Chara stood, helping Frisk onto her feet. "Here, can you stand?"

"I...yeah, I can keep going." Chara held onto Frisk's hand, telling themselves it was to support the girl, but the absence of a warm hand being replaced with cold air is a depressing feeling for anybody, especially someone who hasn't touched anything in forever. It also didn't help that whenever their hands would connect, their heart would get this pleasant flutter feeling. What exactly that was she wasn't sure, but it must've just been a side effect of being touch-starved for so long. Chara took a few steps forward, taking the lead in the march towards the catacombs.

"Then we shall go together, partner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again beautiful reader! I hope I was able to help ease your quarantine boredom a bit with a new chapter! If you couldn't tell, I foreshadowed both things in the Undertale storyline, and the new additions I added to keep this fic a little more interesting! I'd love to tell you what it all means but...that'd be stupid! In the meantime, enjoy more hand-holding! The next chapter will have way more fluff, so please look forward to what I have in store!


	4. Quit Flirting With The Dummy, Dummy!

Upon entering, the two were met with an extremely purple room, with switches sticking from the floor. The road ahead had been paved on the ground with a lighter shade of purple than the one surrounding them. Toriel stood before them, her warm, motherly smile never falling from her face. "This is your new home, young one! Please, allow me to demonstrate how this area works." She pressed down on four specific switches in a square pattern, before pulling down the bright yellow lever on the wall in front of her. After a brief silence, the door to the next area shifted with a click, before elevating on its own, allowing everyone to move forward. "This place is filled with ancient contraptions that require both courage and intelligence in oneself. Ah, but do not worry! I will guide you to the best of my abilities." Toriel gave a sweet smile once more, accompanied with a brief giggle, before heading onward into the next area. 

"Guiding you is my job though..." Chara said, with a pout that Frisk couldn't tell was genuine or exaggeration. Without missing a beat though, she flashed a smirk in the spirit's direction. "Aww, are you already jealous of other girls? I promise I only look at you, dear." Chara scoffed and faced away from Frisk, forgetting that the girl could still see their ear changing from pale to a faint tint of red. 

"Do you often flirt with girls you just met?" 

"I wouldn't if the expressions you made after weren't so cute!"

Chara sighed and pinched the bridge of their nose, trying to ignore the fact that their blush was getting deeper. "Let's just keep moving." Chara let go of the girls hand, thinking if they were going to take the lead, it'd seem weird for Mo-...for Toriel to see a child grip the air in front of them so tightly. They took a few steps ahead, suppressing the urge to feel Frisk's touch again while she trailed close behind them.

"Good job on making it this far!" Toriel said, patting Frisk on the head like you would your pet dog after they proved to you they could play dead for the sixth time. Frisk seemed to enjoy it, letting out a pleased hum and smiling softly. "This room contains another puzzle," Toriel explained, "but I believe I've labeled the switches correctly, making them noticeable enough by your standards." 

Toriel skips toward the exit door that's currently shut tight, confident in Frisk's abilities to solve the puzzle relatively soon. Frisk headed toward the first switch, this one was labeled with three large yellow arrows pointing to it, not that there were any other switches available. After pulling the lever and heading down the corridor, Frisk was faced with two more switches, one with four arrows pointing to it, containing the words, "IT'S THIS ONE :)" in crude text. It looks like it was written in yellow chalk. 

"Hmm.... hey Chara," Frisk whispered, "mind helping me out here?" Chara studied Frisk's expression to see if they were serious, only to find them struggling to stifle what would probably be the loudest laugh Chara had heard in a long time. "Frisk," Chara said, expression and tone flat, "come on." 

"I'm trying my best here!" Frisk's expression had now evolved from a sly smirk to an ear to ear grin, "I don't know if I can do this without my gorgeous guide..." Chara took a moment to give a graceful "UGHHHHH!" before taking Frisk's hand and yanking down the lever themselves. "And that's why we're partners!" Frisk had a satisfied grin before catching up with Toriel, who'd already advanced to the next area. 

"Humans are the worst..." Chara said that, but they couldn't stop a smirk from forming on their face. 

===

"Because you are a human in the underground, you must be prepared for confrontation! This dummy here," Toriel gestured to a soft looking plush doll on a stick, it seemed to be put together by a child, "Will serve a proper demonstration as for what one should do in a fight!"

Frisk looked down, wincing every time Toriel emphasized the fight. "I'm not...uh, the punching type though, miss." 

Toriel gazed at her for a moment, before dramatically gasping, "Punching?! Oh heavens no, no monster requires any punching!" She paused, "Well, none down here, anyway. When you encounter a monster, try striking up a friendly conversation! This way, after getting to know you a little more, they'll lose the will to keep fighting. They'll spare you, you'll spare them, and everyone moves on injury free!" She pushed Frisk towards the dummy, impatiently, "Now please, try it out!" 

Frisk hesitated, it was a little embarrassing talking to a dummy when Chara kept darting her eyes between Frisk and Toriel, as if making some sort of unspoken connection. Her eyes were clouded with a depressing nostalgia, and her mouth would twitch ever so slightly now and then. They were sad, just keeping a tough front for Frisk. Frisk didn't know why exactly, but it pained them to see Chara that way. She subtly waved her hand at Chara, grabbing her attention, before mouthing the words, 'Watch this' with a wink. 

Confidently, Frisk backed the dummy to the wall, slamming one hand right next to the dummy's face and smirking, never breaking eye contact with the doll. 

"Hey baby," Frisk said, with an extremely exaggerated deep voice, "Come here often sweet cheeks?" From a distance, Frisk heard Chara stifle a laugh, "Sweetcheeks?" She asked. Frisk replied with another wink and a smooch Chara's way, making Chara blush and sidestep, avoiding the invisible floating smooch mark Frisk sent into the air. The dummy, however, said nothing, probably staying true to whatever dummy girlfriend or dummy religion it was a part of, but Frisk swore they saw a hint of a blush from the doll as well. 

"G..goodness... u-um, well, it seems you'll get along with monsters just fine! C-come now, let us continue. What a child..." Toriel walked into the next room, feeling more than a little embarrassed.

"That was incredibly embarrassing to watch, you know," Chara said, their blush only now fading away. Frisk stepped towards them, taking their chin in their hand and smiling sweetly at them. Chara tried their best to avoid eye contact, while Frisk slowly leaned in, lifting the girl up for better access to her ear. 

"Chara?" Frisk's voice was in a totally different tone than when they spoke to the dummy. It morphed into something that was incredibly smooth and seductive, did they practice this or something? Chara squirmed in her grip, but Frisk's breath on her neck made her knees weak. 

"Y-yes Frisk?" 

"Just admit your jealousy next time, okay sweetcheeks?" Chara's trance was immediately broken, and they burst into laughter. Frisk giggled next to them, relieved that they were able to make them laugh. "Oh my god," Chara playfully punched Frisk on the arm, admiring her smile. It was so cute, you'd be able to tell how kind Frisk was just by her playful grin. Of course, Frisk would have a field day if she knew Chara thought this, so she kept her mouth shut. But not before one last insult. 

"You're such a dummy..." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can you tell i like the headcannon that Frisk flirts a lot? Because I really like the headcannon that Frisk flirts a lot. Also, debating on whether or not I make the rest of the ruins one big chapter, or if I cut it up into around 2 to 3 more segments...


	5. Welcome Home

"Woah!" 

Frisk jumped back and instinctively assumed a goofy looking fighting stance when a Froggit had suddenly popped out in front of them. "A-ah...ahaha! It's just a cute little frog!" She walked over to the monster, in hopes of petting it, when Froggit boldly croaked and lept at the human, with Frisk only narrowly dodging out of the way, twirling around the monster in a graceful manner. "Geez, you can jump pretty far!" The small creature croaked and blushed, but began to back away for whatever reason. Frisk tilted their head, before they turned around and caught Toriel's fierce expression.

Frisk looked back to reassure the monster, but they were already long gone. Toriel cleared her throat, "Come now, child!" She advanced down the hallway, not noticing Frisk's disappointed expression.

"Nice dodge, partner."

"Thanks", Frisk perked up a bit, "I have a little experience."

"With...dodging small frogs?"

"No, with-" Frisk's train of thought was interrupted when she bumped into Toriel's backside. She looked ahead and her legs shook at the sight of the large gap between land occupied with a platform full with spikes the size of Frisk. She glanced back at Chara for advice, but she didn't seem concerned at all. Maybe there was something to this? 

Toriel seemed to notice Frisk's grimace, since they squatted and gave her a reassuring pinch on the cheek. "It's okay, my child! This puzzle may be just a bit too dangerous for now. Here, take my hand." Frisk grabbed onto Toriel's hand- paw?- and took in the warm, squishy feel. Chara's breath hitched, but before Frisk could check on them they had already started moving through the deadly maze. Chara's comfort came first, of course, but it's a little hard to tend to your little ghost girlfriend when you might join them in the afterlife pretty soon. Frisk breathed deeply, trying to ignore the sound of spikes slotting into the floor and jumping back into the air. Frisk subtly waved the hand that wasn't holding Toriel, in an attempt to alert Chara that they were in desperate need of Cute Girl Comfort. She kept her eyes closed, but smiled after hearing Chara's sigh and feeling her hand occupy the empty cold space. Sadly, as soon as they were feeling comfortable squeezing her hand, the maze had ended. 

==

"You've done amazing this far my child!" Frisk receives another pat on the head, "Which is why I must ask something important of you! You see, I need you... to walk to the end of this room by yourself."

Before Frisk could say anything, Toriel suddenly darted across the room, leaving Frisk spinning like a cartoon character. By the time Chara stopped Frisk and her vision settled, Toriel was nowhere to be seen. Anxiety crawled up Frisk's back, but they were immediately comforted with a light squeeze from Chara's hand. Frisk turned to return Chara's sweet smile, and together they walked through the hallway. 

Well at first they walked....and then they jogged...and then they ran...and then they were downright sprinting-why was this hallway so damn long?! Gasping for air, they eventually made it to the end, prompting Toriel to reveal herself from behind a pillar she had apparently been hiding behind this entire time. Shocking revelations, I know.

"Well done my child!" Toriel opened her arms wide and squeezed Frisk dry, suffocating her in her chest. "This was a test of your independence! I must return home for a moment, I need you to stay right here and do NOT advance okay? Who knows what kinds of danger you'll be in! That is why I will be supplying you with your very own cell phone!" Frisk checked her pocket to show she didn't need one, but all she felt were her thighs through denim, maybe she dropped it near the entrance? Either way she takes the ancient brick that Toriel hands her, and almost fell down trying to hold it still. This thing must've weighed like 20 pounds! But still, they bit their tongue and smiled after seeing how excited Toriel was. 

"Yeah, I'll stay right here Miss!" 

She patted her head once more and left the room, humming a tune Chara seemed to find familiar. Frisk found their way to the corner of the room and sat down, patting the floor next to them while looking at Chara. She smiled and knelt next to Frisk, struggling not to smile when Frisk eventually leaned on her shoulder.

And so, they waited. 

===

"Hey, Chara?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you...doing okay?" 

Chara flinched. "You mean besides the being dead thing? Yeah I'm not doing too bad."

"You knew Miss Toriel, didn't you?" They looked at the ground away from Frisk and tried not to stutter. "W-well, I don't know if-" Frisk took their head off Chara's shoulder and scooted back, gently cupping Chara's face and turning it towards her own, in order to try and make eye contact with her. "You're not the greatest liar, you know." 

"How would you know? You just met me."

"It's just easy to read your face." Frisk lightly poked the tip of Chara's nose, "That's how I know you've been crazy into me this whole time!" Frisk's smirk only upon seeing Chara's face turn red as they pushed Frisk's hand off of their cheek. Again, though, they couldn't stop that damn smile from showing on her face. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you about her just, please stop flirting with me all the time." Frisk leaned back, using their hands to push against the floor to support themselves. "No promises, sweetcheeks!"

Chara laughed, bringing their knees into their torso and hugging them tight, resting their head in her arms. They let the silence in the air grow for just a second before speaking. 

"She's my mother." Frisk's eyes grew wide. "Not biologically, obviously." Frisk's head leaned down a little, Chara ignored the fact that they seemed slightly disappointed and continued. "She took care of me when I fell down here. Her and her family showed me care that I...that I never really got at home. I didn't mean to make you worry about me though, I just had some nostalgia when I saw how she treated you."

Chara let out a deep sigh, letting silence fill the gap between them once more. Suddenly, they felt Frisk's warm body lean against theirs, with her arms squeezing her stomach tight. Her touch was extremely welcoming, and they took in each-others embrace for a moment. The only thing they could hear was the other's soft breathing. 

This was all they needed though.

Frisk knew her words would feel empty, no matter how genuine she felt while speaking, and Chara knew she couldn't think of a response that wouldn't sound dismissive. So they forget words in the moment. Slowly, Frisk leaned back, raising their hands to cup Chara's face again. Chara lightly brushed her hands against Frisks, blushing as she applied a gentle squeeze. 'This is extremely embarrassing,' Chara thought, but another part deep within themselves didn't care. That part of Chara looked into Frisk's eyes and felt an illogical, irresistible urge. That part of Chara...

Jumped about thirty feet in the air once the phone rang.

===

"You have not moved from that spot, correct? I'm having some- uh difficulties with this recipe-" Frisk's ears perked up, "Recipe?"

"O-oh, n-nothing! Just stay in that spot, okay?" Click. Frisk gripped the phone tightly, grabbed Chara's hand and started jumping up and down. "Did you hear that?! She said recipe, Chara!"

Chara giggled, trying to resist the urge to jump with Frisk, "Quiet down, what'll the monsters think when they see you jumping and yelling at air?" 

"Oh like it matters that some Froggit think's I'm insane, I'm gonna get FOOD!" She gripped Chara's hand and started walking towards the exit of the hallway, ignoring Toriel's words of caution. In all the games Frisk plays, the protagonist is always forced to take action and explore, so what makes this moment any different?

==

Chara and Frisk quickly make their way through the Catacombs. They take one, AND ONLY ONE monster candy, they make friends with the creatures of the ruins, they pick up a toy knife for safekeeping, and they (after a few tries) solve the puzzles in their way. On the way Chara and Frisk make light banter, Frisk flirts, Chara blushes, and the routine repeats until they bump into Toriel.

"Oh my child I was just about to call you! Here, make your way inside!" Frisk followed her, but they couldn't help but be curious.

"Inside...where?" Toriel turned and gave a sweet smile. The large open door loomed over the two, but the entire area had this air of nostalgia and comfort. Frisk breathed in the cool mystic air, while Chara wrapped her arms around Frisk, inhaling and exhaling deeply. Frisk glanced, worried, and she caught the nervous smile Chara had dawned. Toriel held onto Frisk's hand, thankfully the one that hadn't been held captive, and led them down the hall.

"Inside your new home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking of making the chapters about this length from now on! They'll take a bit longer to make but, eh, not like I was very on schedule anyway. I hoped you liked this chapter...Oh, and tune in next time for a very happy, very fluffy, no angst guaranteed chapter! Only good times!


	6. The Meaning of Survival

"Wow...It's like the house itself is giving me a hug..."

The crackling of the fireplace that lay dormant in the other room, the beige undertone of the house being extremely nice on the eyes, the comforting air enveloping both Frisk and Chara upon entering the door...it all just screamed...home. Frisk yawned, suddenly aware of how tired they'd been since their initial fall. Without speaking, Toriel took Frisk's hand and led her to a room that looked like it'd be perfect for a child. There were plush dolls lined up against the bed, an empty picture frame against the shelves, a box of toys at the base of the bed, this place would've been paradise for Frisk had they been a little younger.

"Here is your room, my child. Is it... to your liking?" Frisk truly wondered how anyone could ever say no to Miss Toriel, "Of course it is, Miss!" She was going to continue but something caught the attention of Frisk's nose. Was that...burning? "Um, Miss? You might wanna check on whatever's cooking." Toriel's eyes widened. "O-Of course! Please feel free to rest here, young one!" Toriel said as she rushed towards the kitchen. Frisk sighed and closed the door, walking over and flopping onto the bed. Chara sat on the edge, happy to be alone with Frisk again, though they'd never admit it. After a brief silence, Frisk spoke.

"Man, this really is the life. Goat mom's preparing something in the kitchen, I finally get to rest on a squishy bed, and best of all, I get to rest here together with a gorgeous girl like you! I'm not sure if I'll be able to hold myself back." Frisk laid back, rested their head on their pillow, closed their eyes and reveled in the comfort of her blankets.

Frisk heard shuffling coming from the edge of the bed. She didn't see it, but she assumed Chara was going into a blushing fit right about now. If she wasn't so cute, this routine would be bor-

"Ch....Chara?!" Frisk's thoughts were interrupted once she opened her eyes and saw Chara staring right back at her. Her arms were positioned at Frisk's sides, trapping Frisk under her. Chara's face was beet red, but she bit her lip and tried her best remain confident. She smirked, lowering herself onto Frisk just a bit more.

"U-um, hey C-chara I was just joking, y-you don't- um," Frisk racked her brain, thinking of any excuse she could find. It was easy dealing with Chara when she was a flustered mess, but this total role reversal was making Frisk's head spin. Was she...she was totally messing with her! And it was working!

"Aw," she spoke, "what happened? I thought you weren't going to hold back..." Chara was extremely close to them, they could feel each other's breath on their faces by now. If Frisk didn't stop her soon, they seriously might do something they can't take back! They needed to say something, anything!

"U-UM, SHOULDN'T YOU WAIT FOR MARRIAGE BEFORE SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!"

"Marriage..?" Chara's jaw dropped, slowly morphing into an extremely smug grin.

Oh no.

"M-MARRIAGE? YOU'VE BEEN FLIRTING WITH ME THIS WHOLE TIME AND _NOW_ YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT MARRIAGE?!" Chara had gotten off Frisk, rolling onto the side of the bed while laughing extremely hard. Frisk covered her face in her hands, internally screaming for letting that slip. You wouldn't guess by how she acts, but Frisk is actually pretty timid when it comes to someone reciprocating her intense flirting.

"Ha ha," Frisk said with a flat tone, "You really got me." Chara started laughing louder, and Frisk couldn't help but give a sheepish grin. 

"Sorry sorry," Chara said in-between breaths, "It's just- you were little miss seductive until now. I didn't think I'd be able to make you blush."

Frisk perked up a little, with a smirk, she asked, "You think I'm seductive?"

"Oh don't try and turn it around now," Chara said, giggling. "I believe I should wait until marriage to answer that question." Frisk rolled her eyes, ready to give a not-so-clever comeback, but when she opened her mouth her attention had turned to the door slowly creaking open. It was Toriel, timidly coming inside holding a plate of pie that had the sweetest aroma.

"Um...you weren't sleeping, were you child?" Frisk sat up, "Nah, just..." She glanced over at Chara, who smiled innocently. "talking to myself!"

Toriel smiled, "Ah, practicing your speech is very important for someone your age!" Frisk briefly wondered exactly how young Toriel thought she was while Chara chuckled in the corner. She eyed the dish Toriel was holding as she made her way to Frisk, kneeling next to the bed. "Here's something I made in celebration of you staying here! I couldn't decide whether you'd want butterscotch or cinnamon, so I decided to add a little of both!"

Frisk's mouth watered, the cinnamon smell running through her head causing her to smile, she almost couldn't hear what Toriel said. She grabbed the plate and fork Toriel had prepared for her and took a bite.

"How is it?" Toriel and Chara said in unison. Frisk took a second to take it in, before grinning ear to ear and making an excited "MMM!" sound. Toriel sighed in relief, while Chara got nearly as excited as her.

"Woah," Chara said in disbelief, "I can...I can taste it! Frisk I think I can taste it!" Frisk's eyes widened, "SERIOUSLY?!"

Frisk turned back to Toriel, who had a confused expression. "S-seriously amazing!" Chara could barely contain her excitement, "Oh I can smell it now too! MAN IT'S GOOD!" She was smiling extremely wide now, jumping up and down besides Toriel saying "One more, take another bite!" Frisk complied, and together they savored the tooth-aching sweet sensation.

"I think I'm slowly starting to be able to feel...well, feelings through you Frisk! That's so fascinating, do it one more time!" Frisk took another bite, and absolutely melted with joy alongside Chara. Toriel giggled next to them, exclaiming, "I'm truly happy you like it! I wanted your arrival to be celebrated properly."

"Oh, that reminds me. You said you were celebrating me staying?"

Toriel smiled. "Of course my child! Oh I'm so glad, I can read you books about monster history, we can eat near the fireplace, and I can make you this pie whenever you want! It'll be so fun!" Frisk slowly took another bite while the guilt crept up her body, how was she going to tell her? Should she tell her at all? She seemed so happy, she even briefly considered accepting the offer, but Frisk knew they couldn't stay here. She looked over at Chara, who reluctantly nodded her head.

"You can't do that, right partner? It's okay, I think she will take it well!" Frisk nodded, finding comfort in Chara's reassurance.

"U-um, miss? I never... actually planned on staying here."

Toriel paused, and Frisk took this chance to explain. "I would love to stay here, though! It's a lovely home! It's just, I made a promise to someone important back on the surface...it wouldn't feel right to end the journey here, you know?"

Frisk couldn't dare make eye contact, she felt terrible for breaking this poor lady's heart. But it's not like she was lying, Frisk was seriously tempted to say 'Just kidding!' and hug Toriel close, but that wouldn't be right. Her heart wouldn't be in it, and she didn't want to lie to anyone, especially not Toriel.

The two paused, the tension was so thick Frisk could've cut it with her toy knife. She awkwardly took another bite, waiting for Toriel's response.

"I-I see. So you're just like the others..." Before Frisk could question her, she suddenly shot up, rushing out of the door and to the right. Chara reacted quickly, grabbing Frisk's hand and breaking into a sprint. Frisk dropped the rest of her pie in all of the commotion. 

"What's going on?!" 

"I think she's going to destroy the way out of here."

"Wh-WHAT?! Chara I thought you said she'd take it well!"

"Yeah, that's what I THOUGHT! Everyone makes mistakes, right?" They rushed down the stairs, catching up with Toriel who had stopped once they had reached an ominous looking corridor that lead to a foreboding door. 

==

"You, child, are just like the others. So eager to return, so eager to venture forth, and for what?! Do you not realize you are marching towards your own death!" Toriel took off again, and Frisk followed closely.

"If you keep advancing with that dense determination, they'll kill you. Asgore, will kill you." That name made Chara flinch, "What? Dad wouldn't hurt a fly!" But her words fell on deaf ears. Toriel's run morphed into a solemn walk as they approached the exit. A tense air filled the room. Toriel turned to face Frisk, and Frisk boldly returned the look. Neither side was going to back down.

"Every human has made the same fatal error as you. They fall, they leave, and they die. And I, frankly, am done watching the children I care for lose their life." Chara winced, they couldn't look Toriel in the eyes the same way Frisk could. The words she spoke had such anguish behind them, the kind that only could've been obtained by years of grief. Was this...this pain she was feeling...was this Chara's fault?

The room dimmed, and a feeling of adrenaline surged through the both of them. Toriel's hands lit ablaze, and her eyes locked onto Frisk. "If you truly think your determination will get you anywhere...then prove it to me. Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

==

With a cry, Toriel launched a flurry of fireballs at Frisk, glaring at the girl with a cloudy vision. Frisk rolled out of the way, though her brief hesitation caused a flame to singe her sweater. "Please!" Frisk cried, "We don't have to fight!" Toriel kept her mouth shut, responding with another fireball that aimed for Frisk's head. Chara grabbed Frisk by her collar and threw her down, using this brief moment they have together to talk to Frisk.

"Talking isn't going to do any good."

"Then what do you want me to do?!" Toriel answered her question before Chara could. 

"I want you to FIGHT! Draw your blade and strike, or return to your room!" Frisk danced around another series of fireballs, looking to Chara for guidance. But Chara was in no position to make good judgement. She started shaking, knees wobbly and vision clouded with tears. She cared about both of these people, she knew Frisk throwing down her blade would be suicide, but she didn't want any harm to be done to her mother. She was torn. 

"Frisk," she said, ignoring the cracks in her voice, "Whatever you decide to do... I will go along with it." Frisk nodded, before being sent flying with a fireball that was lunged in her stomach. Toriel cringed, but she refused to let her voice falter.

"Pay attention to me, young one." Her hands shook, but her eyes remained steady. "You're not making a very compelling case." Frisk gripped her stomach tightly, groaning in pain as she tossed and turned on the floor. Snapping out of it, she slammed her hand down on the pavement and grabbed her toy knife from her back pocket. It was cheap, and could easily be broken if she wasn't careful, but it could do damage. That's all Frisk needed right now.

"Fine." Frisk slowly rose, panting heavily while staring down her opponent. "I'll show you the extent of my determination." She gripped the knife tightly, rushing towards Toriel as fast as she could. She jerked her body in anyway she could, narrowly dodging the projectiles heading her way. 

With a heavy heart, Frisk slashed Toriel's stomach, getting her dust on her blade. She flinched, and Frisk saw her opening. She struck, and slashed, and fought, all while venting her frustrations. "Are you done?! Is this enough proof?!"

Toriel grit her teeth and took each strike, struggling to compose herself on her trembling legs. She tightened her fist, slamming another fireball into Frisk's back, making the human scream as the flame dug into her skin. 

Chara couldn't bear to watch. She had taken a seat near the door, holding her knees close to her chest and making sure her eyes were kept shut. She covered her ears, but that didn't stop the screaming from piercing her skull. Toriel was strong, extremely strong, Chara found herself thankful that she hadn't been able to re-experience physical pain with Frisk, yet. She cursed herself for being so weak, so indecisive when Frisk needed them most. All she could do now was put her trust in them. She knew she'd do the right thing...right?

Frisk had a pounding headache. Her eyelids felt like they had turned into weights, her arms and legs were trembling, and her body was howling in pain. She gripped the knife tighter than ever, refusing to let go. 

"Dammit....DAMMIT!" Frisk slammed her foot on the ground in an effort to stay awake, "I am NOT going to lose here! Why can't you just trust me?!" Frisk slowly rose her blade, using her other hand to support her arm. Her ears had started ringing, but she didn't care. She couldn't afford to care. She ran towards her once more, her mind racing with a million thoughts each step. Her vision slowly faded into pure red, and time seemed like it was slowing down. She couldn't understand what was happening, or what she was doing. Her brain and her heart were locked in an endless battle. What started as a whisper turned into a roar, one that even Frisk could hear through the piercing screams. Her thoughts all melded into one statement.

'In. My. Way.' She screamed, and plunged the knife deep into Toriel's chest.

==

Frisk backed away, tripping over herself and falling on the floor. Her mind slowed down, finally piecing together what had happened in the last hour or so. This very nice lady had given Frisk a new home, a chance for Frisk to start over and live a peaceful life here. But Frisk had declined, ripping off Toriel's kindhearted persona and revealing her true colors, a woman who has been filled with everlasting despair. Her eyes told the story of constant betrayal, the story of tear after tear, the story of a woman who just couldn't bear it anymore.

The story of the woman, who died at Frisk's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Hello! Please don't hate me for this! I think people often characterize Frisk as this like pure of heart kid who can't do anything wrong, but I personally think that's really boring! I wanted this chapter to sort of show that Frisk is capable of fatal mistakes, and that they can and will mess up a lot throughout this journey. I also thought this idea would be interesting, since I think a lot of us killed Goat mom our first run. ALSO ALSO, I never really write fight scenes, so I hope this was at least a little entertaining to read, haha. ALSO ALSO ALSO sorry if this has any mistakes, it's like 2am while i'm writing this and I've read this chapter like 6 times trying to make sure it's as good as possible. Okay, that's it, thank you for reading and please stay safe out there!


	7. Newfound Determination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING. This one's gonna be weird.

"Ah..." 

Toriel gasped for air, clutching the knife that was buried in her stomach. Her face had distorted into something horrid, but at the same time, Frisk felt some strange, twisted kind of happiness behind her expression. She saw anger, naturally, but there was something deeper. Was it sorrow? Disgust? No...that wasn't it at all. It was pride. 

She winced, coughing up dust onto the floor. Slowly, she looked up at Frisk, making sure she got a good view of her face. "M-my child...I need you to listen closely, okay? Can you...do that for me?" Frisk's vision was distorted, not blurry, but...woozy? Like the world in front of her was slowly spinning, she felt as if she could faint any second now. Not to mention she could barely hear Toriel over the deafening ringing in her ears. She looked down at her hands, grimacing as she realized her entire body was covered in her dust. Reluctantly, she glanced over at Chara, world spinning ever faster once she took in her expression. 

Despair. How else do you describe such a heart-wrenching face like that? Chara had her head in her hands, gripping her now messy hair while she flooded the floor with her tears. She muffled her sobs while she bit her lip in an effort to suppress the urge to scream, drawing out a black substance akin to blood to roll down her chin. Her eyes locked on to her dying mother, her tears falling faster the more Toriel's body faded away. She listened closely, making sure she didn't let her emotions get in the way of hearing her guardian's last words. 

Frisk, however, couldn't hear anything. Toriel's lips moved, speaking with a tired, sad excuse of a smile...but Frisk didn't hear a single thing. She saw Chara shudder and flinch, but couldn't hear any of her whimpers. As Toriel faded out of existence, Frisk stared blankly at the pile of ash. While Chara screamed into a world that refused to respond, Frisk slowly closed her eyes. 

She focused, feeling her way throughout her memories.

'I need to go back.' That was the message that her brain had put on repeat in place of the noise

She thought of the sweet sensation that hit her tongue once she took a bite of Toriel's pie. She thought of how warm she was, always rewarding Frisk with hugs or motherly pats on the head once she did something right. She thought about the solemn smile Chara gave every time she rewarded her. She thought about how good it felt to tear her apart. She thought about how familiar it felt watching the life drain from her eyes. She thought about the rush she felt feeling the EXP flow through her body. She thought about how beautiful Chara looked when she was in pain. 

She thought about how much she wanted to puke. 

She gripped the sides of her stomach and hunched over, vomiting the dessert she just had while her headache grew unbearable. It was like someone was bashing her skull in, slamming a mallet against her head over and over. And over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and o ver and over and over an d over and o ver and over a n d over and ov er a n d o v e r

SYSTEM ERROR 32519473. PAUSING [UNDERTALE] SEQUENCE. EXECUTING [???] SEQUENCE.

==

...

...

"Are you there?" 

The voice scared her, causing Frisk to flinch and open her eyes to see a world devoid of color. Pitch black filled her vision, though Frisk swore something was there. What it was, she wasn't sure...though she's not sure she would even like to know. 

"Are we...connected?" 

There that voice was again, it sounded terrible. Like nails scratching on a chalkboard, it hurt Frisk's head and confused her brain, like she was hearing something no human was ever meant to hear. 

"Excellent..." Frisk could feel the smile this entity had formed, "Truly...truly excellent..." 

Finally, Frisk slowly stood up, finding the courage to bark into the dark. "Who is this? Where am I? What the hell did you do to Chara?!" After a moment Frisk heard an odd chuckle, effectively pissing her off. She opened her mouth to demand something from this...thing, but it interrupted her. 

"Please, Frisk...I need you to relax..." A chill ran up her spine, confidant words turning into ones filled with fear. "...How the hell do you know my name?" 

The voice laughed again. It was so disturbing, nothing about them felt normal. Their laugh was just their initial 'ha' on repeat, like when records scratch and repeat the same note again and again. It felt...wrong. "I know everything about you. Your name, your past, your thoughts, what you're feeling right now, even the things you don't want to admit." A bead of sweat rolled down Frisk's forehead as she decided to let the entity control the pace of the conversation. 

"I know that you killed the lady named Toriel. I know you shoved your knife in her gut while she lit you ablaze. I know you held back your tears in order to keep some deranged sense of pride." 

"Stop it." 

"I know you ignored Chara's true feelings, defending every strike with the thought, 'She'll get over it. She told me herself that she'll deal with it, so of course it's okay.'" 

"Please...that's enough." Frisk's eyes welled up as she balled her hands into fists, gritting her teeth as she cringed in disgust. 

"I even know that in the deep recesses of your mind, a part of you loved it. Every single strike, every single tear, every single scream." 

Frisk fell to their knees, holding their head while she felt her sanity slip away. "SHUT THE HELL UP! I DON'T NEED SOME SHITTY VOICE TELLING ME WHAT I ALREADY KNOW!" Her breathing broke its usual rhythm, Frisk's heart pounded as she inhaled and exhaled at an alarming rate. "I just want...to go back. I TRIED going back, JUST NOW I was puking my damn guts out while trying to reset it all! SO WHY THE HELL AM I STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WITH SOME DAMN KNOW IT ALL IN MY HEAD?!" 

...

...

And with that, the voice fell silent.

After what felt like ages, Frisk slowly rose back up to her feet. She still felt their eyes on her, but she didn't care. There were way bigger things to be worried about right now. Gaining her composure, she inhaled deeply. After a moment of silence, she exhaled the air out of her lungs. In that moment, Frisk made a promise. Both to herself, and to this strange entity. 

'I will never falter again.' 

Feeling her determination flow back into her body, Frisk couldn't resist the urge to don her usual cocky smirk. "You hear that, weirdo?! I'm done messing up." 

The voice chuckled again, but this time it felt like it was laughing WITH Frisk, as opposed to AT Frisk. "It seems you have successfully regained your resolve. Please, do not lose sight of it again. You're quite a potty-mouth when you're upset." Frisk rolled her eyes, "You were the one egging me on! How was I NOT supposed to get pissed?!" 

"I merely made you face your emotions. Had I not done that, you very well may have gone mad. And that does not make for a very fun tale, does it?" 

Frisk stuck her tongue out at the void, hearing a small giggle in response. 

"Hey," Frisk said after some silence, "Now that I'm not, uh, 'going mad', is it... okay if you tell me who you are now?" 

As soon as she said that, she felt her body grow lighter as she slowly rose into the air. It seems the entity was just about to send her back. Frisk listened closely to what very well may be the last words she'll ever hear them speak. 

"M y...n a m e...i s..." 

SYSTEM ERROR 32519473; RESOLVED. RESUMING 'UNDERTALE' SEQUENCE. 

== 

"Frisk! Frisk wake up, are you okay?!" 

She opened her eyes to the sight of Chara's relieved grin. It seemed like she was back in her temporary bed at Toriel's home. 

"Oh thank goodness!" 

Chara hugged Frisk, squeezing them tightly while Frisk felt her tears damp her sweater. 

"It was so dark, and I was so scared, and I needed you there with me so, SO bad Frisk! My head hurt, and it felt like I couldn't function, I was so ashamed of myself! If only I somehow helped, you wouldn't have to do what you did, I'm so sor-" 

Before she let Chara finish, she hugged back, squeezing Chara back twice as hard. 

"Don't apologize, Chara. It was all my fault. I promise, I won't every make you go through that again." 

After a brief moment of silence, Chara had begun sobbing into Frisk's shoulder. Frisk couldn't help but cry along with her, the reality of the situation hitting her for what felt like the 6th time. She had killed someone, someone extremely important to Chara. Even though Chara should be yelling at her, disgusted at her for what she did...she's not. She's bawling her eyes out with the biggest grin on her face. Every time her grip on Frisk loosens even the tiniest bit, she squeezes tighter. Frisk didn't deserve this...she didn't deserve her. But instead of wallowing in self pity, she just smiled, happy to be in Chara's arms again.

"Please...stay with me as long as you can, partner." Chara slowly let go of Frisk so she could gaze into her eyes again. She wasn't sure what it was, but Frisk felt...different, somehow. Like there's a deep rooted flame deep within her soul. Not only that, there was this strange golden flower that seemed to be stuck to her hair. When Chara analyzed it, she found words imprinted onto one of the petals.

'Don't Forget.'

Chara wasn't sure what it meant, but when they told Frisk about it, they just smirked and seemed even more sure of themselves than they already were. She'd be lying if she said this sudden confidence boost wasn't extremely attractive, but there's no way she could tell Frisk that. Not that she needed to, her fidgeting and her blushing told Frisk all she needed to know.

Just after she wiped her tears, a familiar face opened the door. Before she said anything, Frisk spoke, changing her grin into a reluctant frown. 

"Miss Toriel," She said, "I want to leave the Ruins." She was taken aback, still holding onto a quickly fading smile, as if she was expecting Frisk to giggle and say, "Just kidding!" But of course, she didn't. Her eyes stayed locked onto Toriel.

"Somehow," she finally spoke, "I had a feeling you would say that..." She shook her head and returned Frisk's glare, "But that does not change the fact that I cannot allow that. You do not understand what it takes, my child."

"I'll prove it to you." Toriel tilted her head, and when she opened her mouth to respond, she hesitated. That look in her eye...She had seen it before. This human...

Was filled with Determination.

"I'll prove to you that I'm strong enough to survive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Nooo author you can't dance around his name we need closure"
> 
> "haha [REDACTED] go brrrr"
> 
> Thanks for reading, as always.


	8. Leaving The Nest

"Are you ready? If you lose here-"

Frisk interrupted her quickly, eager to get a move on. "Then I'll go back to my room and act like this never happened, okay?" 

Toriel scowled, annoyed with Frisk's sudden cocky nature. "Very well." The hallway dimmed as if on cue, while Frisk and Chara both braced themselves for another intense battle. "Then I will not hold back."

==

Toriel's hand burst into flames, it was so hot that the heat could be felt even from where Frisk was standing. Gracefully, she condensed it into a small fireball, the ember glowing so intensely it almost hurt to look at. She gracefully launches it at Frisk, the girl only barely rolling out of the way. Upon getting back to her feet the fireball erupts in a pillar of flame, and the blast sends Frisk flying across the hallway. She winces as her back makes a dent in the wall. She flops onto the floor, gasping for air as Chara rushes over.

"Frisk!" She crouches down next to her, frantically moving her hands over her as she realizes it'd look weird in Toriel's perspective if she helped Frisk on her feet. She looks around the room, and then back at Toriel's stern expression. She knew she was looking at Frisk, but remembering what Toriel was like when she was angry still sent shivers up her spine.

She puts her focus back onto Frisk. "What's the strategy?" Frisk groans in response, slowly rising to her feet. "Don't worry," she smirks, though her eyes aren't able to hide her pain like her smile can, "I got a foolproof plan!" 

"A-and that is..?"

Frisk walks over confidently, as if that answers Chara's question. She raises her toy blade in a dramatic manner, like a knights trying to intimidate a dragon. Then, without breaking the beasts eye contact, drops to the floor and kicks it behind her.

"Frisk?" Chara and Toriel both say in unison. She crosses her arms and steadies herself, preparing for anything she might have to endure. 

"I refuse to fight you."

Toriel scoffs, sending another fireball flying right besides Frisk's head. She refuses to flinch, eyes locked onto Toriel's. She loads another flame into her hand, this time locking onto Frisk. The human remains still, her feet firmly planted into the ground. The closer the flame gets to her face, the brighter it seems to glow. Frisk shut her eyes, bracing for impact.

The flame crashed against Frisk's stomach, the hot clash making Frisk's head dizzy. She coughed violently, hunching over and gripping her knees tight. She panted heavily, slowly hearing that familiar ringing in her ear. If she had the energy she'd roll her eyes.

"U-um, Frisk?" Chara couldn't help but voice her concerns. "Are you...certain you know what you're doing?" She knelt down and squeezed Frisk's hand, cringing at her pained expression. Slowly, she nodded, whispering back to Chara, "Ch-check her..." Chara tilted her head, and then thoroughly examined Toriel. "Her hands are shaking, and she's refusing to look at you. She's trying to hide it, but her knees are trembling too."

After a moment, Frisk was able to stand up straight, her legs only slightly shaking. "She...won't kill me. I know she won't."

...

"Sh-she wouldn't, right?!" Chara panicked, "You're going this far and you're not even sure?!" With a click, their banter was cut short. They both looked over at Toriel, hands blazing. Avoiding eye contact, she sent a stream of fireballs aiming between Frisks' eyes.

Reflexively, she squeezed Chara's hand while flinching away, fully expecting to be burned alive. But after seeing Frisk's expression... Toriel couldn't help but to act on impulse.

Right before impact, she swatted the flame away, dispersing right before Chara's eyes. After Frisk noticing that she was okay, despite the face that she was dripping with sweat, she slowly opened her eyes again. Her expression softened when she saw Toriel on her knees, tears slowly putting out the flames that tarnished the ground. Her face was in her hands, embarrassed to look at the damage she caused.

"M...mom..?" Chara rushed over to her, ignoring the fact that Toriel had no idea she was right there. There was a part of Chara that hurt though, maybe even more than Frisk was hurting right now. Not having seen your own mother in so long, missing her warm embraces and gentle coos, only to finally see her when she can't see you. Chara kept a strong face, but she knew. Every time she saw Toriel, or accidentally phased through her, or whenever she was kind to Frisk...there was a part of her that died inside.

Even so, she was the first of the two to be right by her side.

Frisk walked over, still a little cautious. She couldn't really help it though, she must've been maybe one hit away from fainting. She sat down in front of her, hugging Toriel as tight as she could. Toriel grabbed her sweater tightly, sobbing into it. They stayed like that for a while, her cries echoed throughout corridor while she damps Frisk's shoulder with her tears. Frisk thought about how she was bummed out about her favorite sweater being torn, but quickly snapped out of it, deciding that there's probably more things to worry about right now.

"I...I understand, my child." She gently breaks away the hug, patting Frisk's head softly. "You were willing to put your life on the line for someone as selfish as me... Somehow, it makes me want to root for your success." Chara sends a sweet smile Frisk's way, "Yeah, she seems to have that effect on people."

Frisk blushes and smiles sheepishly, holding onto both Toriel and Chara's hands. "S-so... did I pass the test?"

Toriel sighs. "I suppose I can't keep you stuck here. I suspect you'd get bored rather quickly...Oh!" Suddenly she perks up, looking over Frisk's tattered body, "But I can't send you on your way like that! Wait here!" She runs off, before quickly turning on her heel. "And actually wait this time, okay?!"

==

Finally, she returns with another slice of pie in one hand and a sewing kit in the other. She sets the pie in front of Frisk, quickly rips her sweater off without warning, and goes to work on stitching up the seams. Frisk internally thanks whatever God is up there for having her decide to wear a shirt under her sweater today, since she usually doesn't bother. She takes a bite and Frisk and Chara both grin ear to ear, taking in the sweet, sweet, cinnamon taste. Instantly, her wounds felt like they were never there, maybe it was an effect of the magic in the cooking? Regardless, she scarfed it down quickly, feeling ready to take on the world after.

"And...finished!" The two look over to Toriel, as she proudly holds up Frisk's repaired sweater. She puts it on and kisses the collar, internally swearing to take better care of it. She gives Toriel a huge hug, and she quickly reciprocates the affection. "Take care, my child." She pulls Frisk back to make eye contact, "Stay determined, young one."

Frisk nods, "Of course, Miss." After looking into each-others eyes a bit longer, Frisk gets up and opens the door, taking a deep breath before stepping into the next corridor. She turns one last time, waving goodbye to Toriel, before moving forward alongside Chara.

==

"Wow. It'd be sweet if it wasn't so damn gross." The flower mocked the two standing before them. its grin growing wider the longer it looked at Frisk's disgusted face. "So...what? You go back in time after stabbing her- a LOT by the way- and now you have the nerve to act like you did something right?" Frisk flinched, not having the courage to look at this thing and their soulless voids you'd normally call eyes.

"I... I fixed what I did wrong." She slowly regained her confidence, "I fixed what I did wrong! Is there something wrong with that?!" Flowey giggled, enjoying every moment of Frisk's anger. "Are you telling ME that? Or are you trying to convince yourself?"

Frisk fell silent.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Chara held Frisk's hand, wishing she could just walk over and stomp Flowey into the ground and be done with it. But since she can't exactly argue back, all she could do was support Frisk. She cursed herself, hoping that soon she could do something more, but right now all she could do was stay by her side.

"Y'know, you seem to wanna play hero now, but what'll you do if there's someone you can't save? Someone who'll keep killing you, stabbing you, bludgeoning you, burning you, until you go insane? You'll die, and die, and die. Until you snap. Until you kill. And it's not like that's impossible or anything! In fact, it happened about...oh, 40 minutes ago?

He laughed even harder, his voice twisting into something downright demonic. It sent chills down Frisk's spine, while it just made Chara wanna puke. "Of course...you could always just give up! And let ME become this worlds rightful ruler. Then, I'll finally become the prince- no, something more- I'll become this world's GOD." Frisk scowled, stepping towards the demented prince with a strange new courage.

"I... will never give up on this world. And more importantly...I will NEVER let you win."

Flowey smiled. "I'll just keep killing you."

Frisk glared. "I'll keep coming back."

After a tense silence, Flowey giggled to himself. "So the false hero thinks they can defeat someone like me? Hmm..." His face morphed into something inhuman, and his voice had a deep sense of blood-lust behind each word. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see." He cackled before digging into the floor, but even though he was gone Frisk swore she could still hear his laughter. Then, having reality hit her once more, her knees fell weak and she fell down.

"O-oh, sorry Chara! The little guy REALLY freaks me out..." Chara puts Frisk's shoulder over hers, slowly raising to their feet. "There you go again partner, facing everything head on at once. It's okay to rely on me for things...you know that, right?" She reluctantly nods, admittedly a little embarrassed that she was getting lectured by her like this. "I mean, I realize I'm incorporeal and everything, but we are in this journey together. I will help you in anyway I can."

Frisk looks over at Chara after regaining her balance, expecting a wagging finger and a stern glare. Instead, however, she's greeted with a warm, caring smile. The smile of someone who desperately wants to believe in something again, to be able to protect what they care about. She returns the smile, holding her hand tightly before placing her hand on the large, extremely ominous door in front of them.

"Yeah, of course...thanks sweetcheeks." Chara groans, "Oh no, that's not gonna stick, is it?" Frisk giggles, "I don't know...kinda liking how it sounds!" She ignores Chara's cries of protest as she pushes open the door leading to the outside.

Another world awaits, one Frisk was scared to enter. One that Frisk has to seize from the clutches of that demonic flower. Usually, this would be impossible. But with Chara at her side, Frisk wasn't nearly as worried.

As a rush of wind hit their face, the two of them thought the same thing.

'Let's save the world, partner.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND WE ARE FINALLY OUT OF THE RUINS!!! god i need to make these chapters way longer so it doesn't take 8 of them to finish an area. Also, I love writing dialogue between Frisk and Flowey so much.
> 
> As always, Thank you for reading! Stay safe out there, it's a crazy world right now.


	9. Bone-chilling Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope this chapter is good and in order because I've read it 6 times now and I'm so...sick of it. Maybe I should get someone to proof read it.

The door to the outside loudly creaks, as if it was screaming in pain, while it slams itself shut. The two couldn't reopen the door even if they wanted, since overwhelming amounts of snow piled up against the slab of metal immediately. Though, that might've been for the best. The humans make eye contact and silently nod to each-other, agreeing that this was a sign to keep moving forward. 

After a couple of steps, Frisk spoke up. "You know, this place is a little... creepy." Tall trees towered over the two, giving them a strange sense of inferiority. With every few steps, Chara felt an urge to glance behind her. She doubted it, but it felt like... someone was watching over them? No, that's not quite right. Like someone was outright stalking them, waiting for an opening. She loosely tugged at the edge of Frisk's sweater, leaning over as if someone would hear her. "I see what you mean. Stay on your guard." But right before Frisk could respond-

**CRACK**

"WHAT THE **HELL** WAS THAT?!" Chara wrapped their arms around Frisk, squeezing so tight they were probably cutting off circulation. Frisk wasn't very concerned with that though, their mind was focused on what shattered behind them. With wary steps, they got close enough to examine the source of the sound. It was an extremely thick branch that was split perfectly in half. Seeing as Frisk couldn't even lift it off the floor, the thought that someone or something was strong enough to shatter it like that sent chills up their spine.

"Let's...keep going." Frisk moved on, dealing with the now jumpy girl quietly whimpering next to her. The air was extremely thick now, both of them anticipating the worst while sifting through the dense atmosphere. The swift contrast from the refreshing breeze to the heavy flow of wind sent chills up Frisk's back. Slowly but surely, Frisk kept walking, bracing themselves for Chara's warnings. Then, right on beat...

"Frisk! Something's behind you!" Frisk tensed up, half expecting to see some kind of unimaginable beast right out of a horror movie, and quickly turned on her heel to see what Chara was pointing at. So, when she saw literally nothing, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. "Um...Chara? There's... literally nothing there." Chara scrambled to find the words to explain herself while she kept her arm extended outwards. 

"Are you...feeling okay? Does the cold affect spirits?"

"D-don't mock me, partner! There really was someone there!" Frisk gave a smug grin and kept walking, snow crunching under their boots in a satisfying rhythm. "Yeah of course, I'll look out for any tall pale men hiding behind the trees, okay?" Chara groaned, rolling her eyes while keeping their hold of Frisk's sleeve. They kept walking until they approached what seemed like a failed attempt at a gate. With a cautious step, they press their foot on the creaking bridge. After thinking it was okay to proceed, her body reflexively seized up, adrenaline rushing through their veins for reasons unknown. Almost as if...someone was right behind her.

"Human." Their hearts started pounding, both of them failing to find the courage to face this entity head on. The reckless part of Frisk would've loved to turn anyway, but there was this strange pressure looming over them, like some invisible chain was held on their feet, preventing them from moving as freely as they usually could. The ominous presence continued speaking.

"Don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around... and shake my hand." Mustering up all the determination they had, the two fought against their mutual dread in order to face their new fear. "That's more like it."

The shadow stuck out their hand, and Frisk, beyond their better judgement, decided to raise their own. "C-careful, Frisk," Chara warned, just barely being able to get the words out. Slowly...they connected. Frisk almost yanked their hand back upon feeling how cold the monster was. After quietly deciding that they wanted to get this over with, their grip on the entity tightened, squeezing what felt like...a cushion?

...

"Frisk...did you just-" She stifled a chuckle, a bit embarrassed that such an undignified thing was getting to her. "Did you just fart?" Frisk, who most likely would've laughed at the situation, just looked at the shadow- though now it was clearly a skeleton- in sheer confusion. The monster, however, laughed in place of Frisk.

She stared blankly at him, dumbfounded. He seemed to be around the same height as Frisk which, admittedly, isn't very tall. He had large eye-sockets and a contagious grin, along with a blue jacked that looked extremely soft.

"ah man... the hidden whoopie cushion trick." He raised his hand showing a now deflated mini balloon that was tied onto his palm. "a classic, right?" He winked, peeling off the string and tossing the rest of the balloon somewhere behind him. "anyways, my name's sans." He stuck out his arm again, this time with nothing covering it, and shook Frisk's hand once more. "sans the skeleton. how's it going?" Frisk smiled, finding themselves charmed by his easygoing attitude and smooth voice. "I'm Frisk," she started, "Frisk the human." 

He waited a moment, like he was expecting something more, but then nodded anyway. Frisk wondered if it was something they said, while Chara felt herself get a little uneasy. She couldn't really determine what exactly it was, she just felt like she should be on edge around him. Was it something in his eyes?

"oh hey, you're a human? my bro papyrus loves those things. so much that he talks about hunting them on the daily." Frisk and Chara both flinched, "H-hunting?!" they said simultaneously.

"woah kid, it's alright. my bro's cool and all, but he's really just a big softie." Frisk nodded, taking his word for it. "actually, i think that's him on his way right now. here." He guided her through the bridge, Chara following right next to Frisk, wondering just why they still felt like he was keeping an eye on her. 

"if you're still worried, you should probably go hide behind that strangely convenient lamp." Frisk looked over and sure enough, a lamp shaped almost exactly like her stood just a little to the left of both of them. This would've been a great time for Frisk to make a snarky comment on how that's a little creepy and doesn't make sense, but since the figure in the distance was slowly getting clearer, they decided to think about it later and quickly took cover. A few seconds later, another skeleton comes into view, this one being significantly taller than Sans.

"SANS!!!" 

"hey, bro."

"OH DON'T YOU DARE "HEY BRO" ME! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON WITH YOUR PUZZLES?!" Chara found herself flinching with every word he spoke, was he this loud all the time? There's no way...right?

"aw don't be like that bro, i really did do my best. besides, you were gonna yell at me no matter how well i did." 

Papyrus scoffed, "T-THAT'S NOT TRUE BROTHER! WHY DO YOU THINK THAT?" Sans grinned even wider, smiling not only with his teeth but with his eyes, like he was waiting for this opportunity. 

"cause bro, i could feel it... **in my bones.** " Chara did her loudest groan yet, while Frisk clasped her hand over her mouth to avoid bursting out with laughter. Chara looked down on her, her expression practically screaming in disappointment.

"...Seriously?" Frisk sniffed, still shaking a little while avoiding making any noise. She whispered, "I-I just didn't expect it, the next one won't get me, promise." Chara rolled her eyes.

"OH. MY GOD. JUST... GO AND RE-CALIBRATE YOUR PUZZLES, PLEASE?" Sans shrugged, shaking his head slowly. "sorry bro, can't." Papyrus sighed deeply, reluctant to press the issue. 

"AND WHY CAN'T YOU DO THAT?" Sans snickered again, causing both Chara and Papyrus to preemptively "UGHHH". 

"cause my heart just wouldn't be in it." He winked, showing Papyrus his expression of pure joy. Frisk had now put the other hand over the first in a near helpless effort to stifle her laughter.

Papyrus, however, was now stomping the floor like a kid having a temper tantrum.

"SANS! PLEASE! STOP!" 

"but you're smiling."

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN I LIKE THE JOKE!" 

"uhh, ain't that kinda like, the main criteria?" 

"OH, WHATEVER!" He stomped off in the other direction, shouting, "THE NEXT TIME I CHECK THOSE PUZZLES THEY BETTER BE FIXED! OR ELSE..." He turned on his heel, taking the most dramatic pose possible. He placed his hand on his chest, and somehow his cape started flowing in the wind, which was especially weird, since the breeze from earlier had died down.

"I'LL FORCE YOU TO LISTEN TO MY PUNS! SINCE THOSE ARE ACTUALLY HUMERUS!" He walked back through where he came, chest puffed out and blaring a confident, "NYEH HEH HEH!" Chara looked over at Frisk, who surprisingly wasn't laughing this time. "What, was that one bad or something?" She shrugged, "Not sure, I think Sans just does it better." 

"...I really don't get you, partner."

==

"hey, you can come out now, that laugh's his exit cue." After peeking out behind the lamp just to make sure, Frisk slowly emerges out from the shadows. "you know, you should probably get going. if you don't, my bro might come back, and you know what that means..."

"I get hunted?"

"nah, you'll have to hear more bad puns." Frisk giggled, not seeing that as much of a punishment. Chara however, was extremely against the thought. She grabbed Frisk's arm and tugged slightly, signaling Frisk to start moving. "Yeah, I'm not sitting through another second of that, let's go Frisk." While walking away, Frisk turned and waved goodbye to Sans, while the skeleton lazily did the same.

"hey, uh, actually?" Frisk and Chara both stopped in their tracks, curious as to what he had to say. 

"do you think you could hang out with my bro a bit? he's been in a slump lately, so seeing you might make his day." Frisk nodded, "Of course we can!" 

Sans smiled, walking away for a bit before pausing turning around again. "uh...did you say 'we'?" 

They both stopped again, Chara face-palming once she realized what Frisk just said. Frisk stammered, sweating a bit more than they'd like to admit. 

"I! Of course **I** can! That's what I meant to say! T-the cold must've just gotten to my head, haha..." He scanned her face a moment more, before deciding to ignore it. "ah, it's cool, we all make mistakes. later, kid."

Once they were both sure he was gone, they breathed a sigh of relief. "Aw geez, that was almost bad, huh Cha-"

**WHAM!**

Frisk instantly clutched the back of their head, wincing at the gradual sting that throbbed on the impact. "W-what was that for?! I haven't saved in a while you know, that could've been fatal!" Chara huffed, "First of all, there's a save point a little ways from here, I can see it. Second of all, that smack was only like 2 HP. And THIRD of all, you need to be more careful! It's already shocking that you're a human down here, I don't know what'll happen if they realize you're some kind of medium!" 

"W-well, it's not like that'd be the weirdest thing down here. If anything, I should be the one who's all judgmental!" Chara sighed and rested her head in her hands. "It's not about which one's weirder, it's about your reputation. If everyone hears that the human is a cute girl instead of a spirit talking schizo, they might be a little more hesitant to kill you." 

"...You...you called me cute!" Chara flushed, "T-that's not what's important!" Frisk cooed, humming a sweet sounding "Awwww!", while Chara felt their skin get even hotter. 

"You're way too carefree."

"Well you're way too uptight! Come on, lighten up, everyone here seems nice. Like Sans!"

"Are you kidding? Sans was the most suspicious person yet! A constantly smiling goofball? Yeah, I don't really trust that, sorry." Frisk tilted their head, "Really? But... I'm a constantly smiling goofball too."

"W-well..." Chara racked her brain for an answer that wouldn't cause Frisk to tease her, but failed to come up with anything. "I'm kind of forced to trust you."

Frisk smiled sweetly, "And I've done a great job so far!" She got a little closer to her, holding her hand and brushing her thumb gently along the back. "Not everyone is out to get you, you know?" Chara sighed, unable to resist Frisk's gentle sounding voice. 

"...If you say so, partner."

"I know so!"

==

After saving, Frisk and Chara move ahead, ready to explore the winter wonderland of Snowdin. But despite Frisk's words, Chara couldn't help but be protective of her, especially around that strange skeleton. Was he really just a nice guy, or was he something more? For Frisk's sake, she'll try to ease up around him, but even so, her mind kept repeating the same phrase.

"Watch out for him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you! The person reading this right now! No not the dude next to you, YOU! thanks for reading this chapter! I promise snowdin won't take 8 chapters! *Note, I cannot promise snowdin won't take 8 chapters.


	10. If I Didn't Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara and Frisk spend a moment alone at Snowdin's inn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> checked through this chapter about 10 times, im gonna post it before I combust.

If Chara had to hear another bad joke, or see Frisk pet another dog for so long it stretches into the heavens, she was going to lose it.

She needed a break, and honestly, Frisk did too. Although Frisk loved the aesthetic of the area, (she could never get sick of the sound of snow crunching under her feet, or how softly the snowflakes floated onto the ground around them), the weather was definitely getting to her. While she loved the excuse to hold Chara's hand and keep close to her, she was just about to faint from the cold.

Which is why she was downright ecstatic to see the huge, "WELCOME TO SNOWDIN!" banner, detailing the highlights of the town on the bottom. In smaller letters, it drew attention to the selling points of Snowdin, which included "Grillby's", "Snowed Inn", "Librarby", and other small establishments. 

"D-...do they now that 'library' is misspelled?" Chara tilted their head slightly, chuckling a bit from second hand embarrassment. 

"Who cares?! There's an Inn!" Frisk spoke in an excited whisper, "I've been dying for the chance to take a break, let's hurry up and go!"

==

"Welcome." The bunny monster waved at Frisk, greeting them with a soothing voice and a sweet smile. Not so sneakily, her daughter peeked out from under the counter, intensely analyzing the human with immense curiosity. Frisk approached the two bunnies, preemptively feeling around in her pocket for money. 

"Hello, miss! How much for a two bedroom visit? We-" Frisk caught herself quickly, "I'm waiting for a friend, we'll only stay around an hour."

The lady behind the counter smiled, "Sadly, our last two bed room was just taken by this lovely couple! We do have several one bed rooms though!" Frisk looked back at Chara, who groaned and tilted her head back. 

"Of course," She said in a defeated tone, "of course there's only one bed. Why am I not surprised?"

Frisk looked back at the innkeeper, whose smile hadn't budged an inch, and put down the amount of money she needed on the desk. Eighty gold was a lot to spend, but for a quick breather, Frisk could work around it. 

==

"And here we are!" Frisk jumped as high as she could and slammed onto the bed, quickly digging under the covers. Once she had them all to herself, she patted the space next to her, signaling Chara to lie down beside her.

"Yeah...no." She sat down on the edge of the bed, letting go of a deep sigh while she ignored Frisk's look of disappointment. "Ugh," she fell back into her pillow, "you're no fun. We never did get the chance to do anything back at Miss Toriel's you know..." Chara thought it over, replaying the marriage dialogue in her head. "Aren't you the...traditional type?" 

Frisk chuckled, "No, not really. That's just something my mom drilled into me when I was younger." She raised her finger and wagged it at nothing, "Don't do anything with someone you don't plan to spend the rest of your life with! It doesn't matter who, but they better be marriage material!" She smiled fondly, remembering how caring her mother used to be.

"And what about your father?" 

Frisk flinched, "W-what?" Chara briefly thought about dismissing the thought after seeing Frisk's reaction, but she was admittedly really curious. Besides, she opened up to her back in the ruins, so it seemed fair to switch places this time. 

"W-well..." She thought back, memories faint and scrambled, but never very pleasant. They glanced over at Chara, who was looking at her expectantly. "I'll tell you..." she lifted up her covers and made space next to her, "...if you cuddle with me." She gave Chara a sly grin, internally hoping she'd give up and drop the subject. What she forgot, however, is that Chara is just as stubborn as Frisk.

She swallowed her pride, crossed her arms, and leaned back to lie next to Frisk. She refused to relax, her entire body remaining stiff as shades of red slowly took over. Frisk looked down at her, while Chara refused to make eye contact. 

"U-um..."

"Start talking." 

Frisk laughed, "You could at least try to be a little more convincing." She smirked, and watched Chara quietly squirm around in her spot on the bed. Slowly, awkwardly, she turned her body and rested it around Frisk, pulling her just a little closer to her body. In response, Frisk did the same, settling into Chara's embrace. Their faces were inches away from each other, close enough to feel the other's body heat.

Frisk's subtle cinnamon scent made Chara nostalgic, while herself, somehow, still had the smell of buttercups on her after all this time. Maybe it was some kind of curse. Well, Frisk didn't mind. Granted, she didn't think ghosts could smell like anything, but she thought it fit Chara.

"Frisk?" 

She didn't realize she was staring. "W-what's up?" 

"Your father, remember?" Frisk tried to hide it, but there was a part of her that cringed every time she thought about him. 

"Right, so... Actually, where should I even start?" They both paused, trying to find a way to ease into this topic.

"Well, how do you feel about him?"

"If I'm being honest? I hate him. Well, I guess hate's a strong word, huh?" She thought it over, "I don't HATE him...but I don't think I can really say I love him either, you know?" She groaned, "It's really hard to find the words."

"Hmm." They sat in silence. Frisk searched for the right descriptions, while Chara tried not to get annoyed at their neighbors, who've now started snoring. Loudly. Admittedly, it was nice to have some kind of noise to distract them, but it's not like it made her any less nervous being this close to Frisk.

"Maybe," Chara finally said, "if you just start saying adjectives, you'll naturally get into a flow while talking. Don't think, just talk."

She nodded, closed her eyes, and tried her best to relax. As her mind turned blank, she started spouting out whatever she thought of.

"Tough. Aloof, distant, he always reeked of alcohol, hated children, those types of adults." She sank into her pillow a little more, still thinking of more characteristics.

"...abusive. Like, holy shit. But never to me. He actually never laid a hand on me." 

She sounded a little happier about that than she meant to, but she decided not to dwell on it.

"My mom, though? He drove her insane. It was almost like tradition. After school, one of them would shove me into my room, and then I wouldn't be let out for at least 2 hours. Then, eventually, my mom would come into my room. She was always bruised. I tried not to notice, though. After, she'd plant kisses on my forehead, telling me how great I did that day, even though I never did anything."

Her voice started breaking, but she continued anyway.

"Until...one day. The usual yelling outside my door was a little louder than usual. They must've been yelling for hours, but still, nobody came. I got scared. Like, more than I already was. I remember staring at my door, heart pounding, when the noise suddenly stopped. After a while, I got up, slowly opening the door like some kind of horror movie. I... I peeked through and-"

"Frisk."

Her eyes shot open. She almost forgot Chara was here. She hadn't relived that experience in a while, and she remembered why. Whenever she thought of her father, the memories just kept spilling, refusing to stop until her inner sadist felt satisfied.

"Frisk...you're crying." She sat up, quickly wiping the tears from her face. When did she start crying? 

She rubbed her eyes till they hurt, sniffling like a child. _Deep breaths, Frisk. Just like how you remember._ While she recollected herself, Chara sat up, hugging Frisk as tight as she could without hurting her. She ran her fingers through her hair, shushing Frisk while she failed to muffle her sobs. They buried their face in Chara's shoulder, gripping her sweater tightly. 

Her crying wasn't pretty. Her face distorted, and snot ran down her nose shot back up with every loud sniff. Frisk quietly whimpered in Chara's arms, the cocky flirt being reduced to a helpless child. It was, honestly, the ugliest Frisk had been yet.

But Chara didn't mind. Of course she didn't.

For once, she wasn't hiding behind that snide grin, she wasn't mindlessly throwing out flirty remarks in an effort to get a reaction out of Chara, she didn't have that persona of some kind of charming hero.

For the first time, Frisk was just herself. Just another teenager who got dealt a bad hand.

Despite everything she's been through, Frisk will always be Frisk.

"Shh.." Chara gently rubbed the girl's back, slightly panicking. She was never really any good in these situations, but because of Frisk's current state, she felt an obligation to at least _try_ to comfort the poor girl. "I-it's okay, Frisk. I'm here."

They stayed like that for a moment. Chara softly repeated words of comfort, holding Frisk tightly while her pained sobs slowly shifted into quiet weeps. Her grip on Chara loosened, and after a while, she stopped crying. Silence filled the room.

"I assume..." Chara finally spoke up, "that whatever you saw after, influenced your decision to climb the mountain?" After a pause, Frisk nodded, sighing heavily.

"S-sorry," Frisk finally said, "I didn't mean to bring the mood down." 

"N-no!" Chara said that louder than she meant to, "I mean- you don't have to apologize. I'm...glad you can be so honest with me." Frisk smiled, bringing Chara back into a quick hug before lying back down.

"Well, I guess it's not all bad, right?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because..." She placed her hand on top of Chara's, brushing her thumb against it lightly. 

"If I didn't fall, I never would've met you." Chara instantly flushed, jumping back and nearly falling off the bed, "W-where did that come from?! How do you say things like that with a straight face?"

Frisk laughed, slowly becoming their usual self again. "It's worth it to see your reaction, you're cute when you blush." 

Chara groaned. "W-whatever, breaks over! Let's get up and go!" Frisk let out a childish whine as she hugged the blankets around her, "Aw, what?! Five more minutes!" 

She glared, burning her eyes into Frisk so intensely it made her sweat. "...please?" 

Chara paused. After what had just happened, and considering that Chara could easily just yank Frisk out of the bed if she happened to be lying, she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. She did need rest after all.

"Five and **only** five, alright?"

Frisk shot her fists into the air, "Hell yeah! You're the best Chara!" 

She couldn't resist the smile that came over her when she saw the look of joy on Frisk's face as she sank into her bed. Even through her hardships, she still finds time to have fun and smile. Chara respected that.

Despite everything, Frisk will always be Frisk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hey, I made a tumblr in case you wanna talk or ask about the fic! Feel free to chat, I got a lot of free time (clearly) https://anotherawfulalias.tumblr.com/ As always, thanks for reading. I really wanted to use that hurt/comfort tag today. It's a little awkward to write, but I hope you still enjoyed. Next chapter will be much more lighthearted.


	11. You're Blue Now!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> procrastinated on this a bit too much, haha. Sorry about that, buuuuut hey! we're here now!

Everything about Snowdin was beautiful...depending on who you asked, anyway.

From the gently drifting snowflakes to the way an occasional breeze would make her hair stand on end, if you could be in love with a town then Frisk was two cinnamon buns away from dropping to her knees and proposing. Reading up about monster characteristics from the 'librarby' was more Chara's style than Frisk's, but having Chara read to them was nicer than they'd expected.

Chara was an extremely fluent reader, flowing through each and every word with boundless grace. She felt compelled to just grab random books and sit inside all day, Chara speaking over her shoulder like some kind of narrator. But that'd be a bit silly.

Chara, though? Well, she couldn't really care either way. In her defense, she wasn't really focused on the environment. Her mind was clogged with one thing and one thing only.

That damn comedian.

Even the visual her brain thinks up when imagining him doesn't fail to piss her off. Chara racked her brain trying to understand him, and she couldn't stand that.

Why was he like that? The way he talked, the way he carried himself, the way he kept popping up in front of the two even though she'd see him walk in the other direction. It all felt so carefully calculated, like he was peering through Frisk with every subtle glance. And the way Frisk was oblivious to it made Chara even more irritated. Whenever Chara brought it up, she quickly brushed it off. "You're just paranoid, Chara! He's just a bit silly! He's fine!" Does she really not see through his facade?

His expression...was the expression of someone who refused to trust the other. Every time he joked, or watched over her from a distance, he was simply masking the fact that he was watching her every move. He was...waiting. Now the question is, waiting for what?

For a chance to kill? No that can't be it, he's had too many chances to. Frisk almost always has her guard down, that's just how she is.

Was he waiting for her to...prove something? No, not prove... to confirm.

A light bulb flashed in Chara's brain, eyes widening the more her brain ran this thought process through. He was waiting for her to confirm something to him. Chara repeated that a few times, gauging the probability of her statement.

She recalled the comedians face. Those blank eyes, that plastered on grin, that feel-good aura that draws people in, only giving the especially perceptive ones a feeling of danger. Chara knew that expression well. After all, it was one she had trouble repressing.

That's how the world saw her, after all. Well, how the world used to see her. A smile that never faded, a contradiction to the eyes that looked right through your soul. That was how she looked at everyone. Even Frisk. Especially Frisk.

No matter how close Chara got to her, no matter how often she exceeded her expectations, she just couldn't stop looking at her like that. She was afraid. So, so afraid. This was the first time she had trusted a human, ever. Granted, she has literally no choice in the matter, but it's not like that made it less scary.

There were two different voices in her head. One an optimist, one a pessimist. Chara usually favored the pessimist, though recently they've been louder, and it's been hard to pick a side. Especially when Chara didn't have a good grasp on her feelings already.

 **'You can't seriously be debating this.'** Ah, here they are. Always the first to speak.

_'No, you ABSOLUTELY should be debating this! What are you thinking, is your opinion on humanity that biased?'_

**'Can you blame her?! You know what exactly what they're like! We made a deal to tolerate her as long as she didn't hurt anyone, which she DID by the way, we're just ignoring that cause there's no point in arguing with someone you're bound to.'**

_'But she changed! Her emotions got the better of her but she went back and made it right! That's a lot better than the ones we knew, right? Besides, she doesn't seem like such a bad person!'_

**'Yeah no shit, why would she just openly admit she's terrible like the rest of them? There's no way we can trust her...'**

_'We HAVE to trust her..!'_

**'Because...'**

_'Because...'_

_**'She's human!'** _

* * *

"Hey, Chara?" She snapped out of it, world coming back into view once she saw Frisk's face. They looked around, just now realizing they weren't in Snowdin anymore. She glanced down, noticing that her hand was being held this whole time.

"Y-yes?"

"Are you okay? You've been out of it ever since we let the library, I practically had to drag you here!" Frisk turned back, looking back towards the silhouette that was obscured by the growing blizzard. Frisk's words came out with a strain, her planted feet keeping her still while she struggled to keep her hair out of her mouth.

"I think we're pretty close to a fight so..." She turned back at Chara. "get ready! We gotta do this together, right?"

Chara paused. She is absolutely not ready. Her head felt like it was splitting open as the two halves of her brain were getting ready to beat the shit out of each other. She looked into Frisk's eyes, feeling just a little better. 

"Frisk." She turned, giving Chara her undivided attention despite the current weather conditions. Chara studied her face hard as she spoke, "Do you trust me?" Frisk tilted her head slightly, looking almost a bit betrayed.

"I- of course I do, Chara. You...trust me too, right? That's why I'm happy you're guiding me." She gave a kind smile that Chara couldn't help but feel guilty about.

See, the truth is, the opinion of whether or not Chara trusts Frisk changes by the minute. Of course, Frisk's own actions barely played a factor in Chara's decision, she almost never did anything untrustworthy, she just acted a little immature sometimes. She looked down, trying to find peace in seeing the snow pick up off the ground. It wasn't working.

"Y-yes...yes, of course I trust you, partner." 

"...You're lying to me." 

**'Oh, so she's SO perceptive when it comes to me, but when it comes to Sans she has no clue what's going on?'** She pushed that thought down, it was just the pessimist in her head seeping through again. She reluctantly looked back up at the girl, who surprisingly, didn't show any signs of her smile fading.

"Chara, you don't have to have your emotions in check all the time...you know that, right? It's...cool, if you can't trust me all the time." She lightly squeezed Chara's hand, looking back towards the distant skeleton. "We gotta do this together. So, no matter what you think of me, I'll trust you all the same, okay?"

"That's...a very careless thought process, Frisk." She said that, but she couldn't stop the smile that floated onto her lips. "I'll...try. To trust you, I mean. What kind of partner would I be if I couldn't even be by your side, right?"

"Right! So then, ready to analyze the hell out of this bonehead?"

"..."

"..."

"I thought you'd like at least pity laugh-" Chara grabbed Frisk's arm and dragged her through the snow. "I take it back, you're extremely untrustworthy."

And so, there they were. The blizzard cleared, gusts of wind turning into a still quiet. They could clearly see all around them. While their arena was...just snow, it was very spacious, making for a very dramatic setting. In the distance were countless amounts of trees, making up a forest Frisk was sure to get lost in. The two looked forward, eyes focusing on what's at hand.

"HUMAN! I SEE YOU HAVE PERSEVERED THROUGH THE MANY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS I HAD PREPARED FOR YOU." Chara scoffed, "Well it's not like they were challenging..."

Frisk shushed them. "He's trying his best," she said in hushed tones, "cut him some slack." Chara rolled her eyes, refusing to admit that they thought his passion was indeed admirable. 

"Ahem!" Frisk patted her chest lightly, making sure her voice wouldn't suffer through any cracks or breaks. "It was quite the challenge, Mr. Papyrus! But of course...!" She dramatically placed her hand on her collarbone, straightening her posture to look like some kind of super hero. Somehow, her bandanna flowed in the wind, even though the air around them was calm. "It was no match for a puzzle master like me!" She smirked, forgetting that Chara helped her with every single one.

"OH! OH HOH! OH HOH HOH HOH!" Papyrus had now dawned the same pose as Frisk, his scarf flowing in the opposite direction- seriously, how were they doing that- while his boisterous laughter echoed through out the area. "I SEE! THESE FEELINGS OF ADMIRATION, OF INTENSE FONDNESS, OF FINDING COMFORT IN ANOTHER PUZZLE LOVER!" He pointed at Frisk dramatically, "THOSE ARE THE ONES YOU SHOW WITHOUT SHAME!"

Frisk was taken back a bit by this, but after brief consideration, decided to just roll with it. "E-exactly! That's why..." She lowered her arms, "that's why we don't have to fight Mr. Papyrus." He was taken aback, almost breaking character by showing hesitation. She was right, they really didn't have to fight. Papyrus didn't seem like they type that could kill her anyway. Still though, he stood up straight and faced Frisk head on, only sweating a little bit.

"UNFORTUNATELY HUMAN...THAT IS EXACTLY WHY WE HAVE TO FIGHT!" He readied himself, struggling to keep his confident mask from breaking. "THE CLASH OF TWO WHO CARE FOR EACH OTHER WILL BE A FIGHT TO MATCH HISTORY! COME, HUMAN! AND LET ME CAPTURE YOU!"

The air shifted, and the rush that hit the two was invigorating. They knew the deal. They had to fight. Frisk smirked.

"Not a chance."

* * *

Before they could blink, a flurry of bones of varying sizes rushed towards Frisk, only barely being able to avoid it, they quickly danced their way through the onslaught. Chara scanned the enemy. 

"Papyrus. Attack is 20, Defense is 20, He really likes his laugh." Frisk ducked under a twirling bone, giving a mischievous look Chara's way. "And what does his laugh sound like?" She sighed. "Nyeh. Heh. Heh."

Frisk giggled, "Aw, so cute! Now tell me what to do." Chara swallowed down the insults that she wanted to spit out at Frisk and took a good look at his fighting style. 

"He doesn't really want this anymore than you do. Try getting on his good side and distracting him a bit. Meanwhile, dodge his attacks like you always do. You can punch away the smaller bones with your glove, they're weaker than his normal ones." Frisk nodded, taking a stance that put her lower to the ground. "Right," she said, reeling back and striking away the obstacles. "Dodge and distract...Man that punch felt good!"

She tried it again for fun, taking a fighting stance that she saw in an anime once, and tried her best to duck and weave through his attacks. Jab, right hook, uppercut, the gloves were on and Frisk was loving it. Papyrus, irritated, summoned a larger than usual bone with a noticeable strain. Chara thought about alerting Frisk to dodge, but she knew she wouldn't listen.

She quickly hopped in place, excited to take the attack head on. The bone was sent flying towards Frisk, and she readied her fist. With a bang, the two clashed, Frisk refusing to budge under the sheer weight and pressure of the strike. The power of them both were immense, especially with Frisk only being LV1. Chara took a closer look. Was Frisk...readying something?

 **"It's now or never! D...T... PUNCH!"** With a roar, Frisk broke through, causing the huge mass in front of the girl to break apart, pieces of bone scattering throughout the arena. Ecstatic, she raised a fist and hollered, "Aw yeah! Wasn't that so cool? I have my own move now!"

"D...T? Is that from one of your...video games?" Frisk grinned at Chara, who currently felt like a mom whose child had done something extremely embarrassing in public. "N-no!" She covered her mouth, struggling to whisper to Chara. "DT, like determination! Awesome, right?!" Personally, Chara didn't get it, but her attack DID seem to get a bit stronger once she yelled that out, so if it got results, she couldn't really complain.

"S-SO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN SPECIAL MOVES TOO! I SEE...I REALLY CAN'T HOLD BACK THEN, HUMAN!

Frisk smirked, she didn't like fighting, but even she couldn't help getting caught up in the excitement of it all.

She had fun for a bit, bantering with Papyrus while she ducked, spun, and jabbed away at anything that came her way. "Wow Papyrus," she spoke after a noticeably long string of bones, "No wonder a hunk like you wants to be in the Royal Guard! You're tough!" He blushed, stammering while his bones slowed down dramatically. Frisk didn't even have to dodge anymore, she simply walked her way around with a cocky grin on her face."

"So your way of distracting him is flirting," Chara said with a sigh, "...I'm not even surprised anymore."

Papyrus stuttered, "W-W-WELL OF COURSE! ONE WHO WANTS TO BE THE BEST MUST ACT LIKE THE BEST! BUT YOUR EFFORTS OF FLATTERY WON'T AFFECT SOMEONE LIKE ME!" Chara thought to herself, he seemed serious about that. How could one distract Papyrus? How do you meet his standards?

Oh! Chara planted her fist in her palm, feeling a bit silly for not realizing this before. "Frisk," she called, "tell him you'll make him spaghetti!" She smiled back at Chara giving her a subtle thumbs up.

"R-really? That's a shame! I _was_ gonna cook as much spaghetti as you wanted but..." The bones had outright stopped in their tracks at this point.

"A...AS MUCH AS I WANT?"

She smiled sweetly, "As much as you want."

He seriously debated it for a moment, before shaking his head quickly, "N-NO! WHAT AM I THINKING! YOU MAY BE MEETING MY STANDARDS, BUT WE CAN'T MINGLE!"

Frisk tilted her head innocently, "Not even one date?" The bones dissipated, Papyrus now as red as tomato sauce. He had a little trouble getting the words out, but when he did it was very obvious to hear the cracks. "M-MAYBE LATER! AFTER I CAPTURE YOU! BESIDES..."

A new array of bones were lined up on either side of Frisk. These had an obvious blue hue to them, their light reflecting off of Frisk's figure. 'This must be what the comedian warned us about.' "Do you remember what he said, Frisk?" She nodded, locking her body into place. "I won't move an inch."

"I HAVE SPECIAL MOVES OF MY OWN!"

They shot towards her at blinding speeds, it took everything in Frisk's body to reject her instincts and stay still. She closed her eyes, praying that they had the determination for this. 'Don't move, don't move, do not move," the words played on repeat in both Frisk's and Chara's head as she watched with baited breath. After the sounds of the attacks cutting through air had stopped, she slowly opened her eyes.

"O-oh! That wasn't so-" 

**DROP**

With a forceful slam, Frisk's vision filled with white before she could realize she had hit the floor. This intense pressure...it was the same as what they felt when the duo first entered. "W-what is-" Chara struggled to open her eyes, all she could notice was that Frisk's soul had gotten rid of it's comforting red glow, instead being forcefully replaced with a harsh blue. 

"F-Frisk! Your soul properties have changed, i-it's like the gravity in the area has intensified!" It was then that Chara realized something. Her link to Frisk's soul...is that why this effect is hindering Chara's movement as well? 'Then,' her brain was in disarray, 'does that mean-"

Then, while Frisk was in the middle of getting up, a loose bone slammed into Frisk's side, breaking on impact. As if in sync, the two gripped their side and unknowingly gasped for air, their brains just now registering the the stinging feeling, along with the blood that dripped down the quickly darkening bruise.

It had clicked in Chara's head by this point. As long as their link was tampered with, she was forced to feel Frisk's pain. Chara hadn't felt physically hurt in such a long time, it was almost energizing. If the side of her body didn't feel like it was burning, she might've even felt alive.

"NYEH HEH HEH!" The monster in front of them proudly exclaimed, their cape flowing while the two were using all of their energy just to look him in the eye. "YOU'RE BLUE NOW!"

While Chara was unsure whether or not they'd have to concede, the skeleton just kept on bragging.

"THAT'S MY ATTACK!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I just learned about dividers? Anyway, yay! I get to write more fight scenes!! I'm not sure if I'm very good at them but man they are fun to exaggerate. Just because this is a pacifist run, doesn't mean Frisk can't use their weapons, right?
> 
> As always, thanks for reading.


End file.
